Cardinal Way not taking flight
Poor pitching, defense have Cards off to NL-worst 3-9.
Long known for winning The Cardinal Way, St. Louis entered Monday with the worst record (3-9) in the NL and its poorest start since 1988 courtesy of shoddy play all over the diamond.
“I t hi nk i t ’s magnifi e d when it happens this early,” manager Mike Matheny said. “Rightfully so.”
For an organization that takes immense pride in attention to detail and executing properly, all the ugly miscues have been startling.
St. Louis had committed 10 errors, hit seven batters and thrown five wild pitches through Sunday. Not to mention the 44 walks issued by a pitching staff sporting an NL-high 4.98 ERA.
Even eight-time Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina has permitted a passed ball in each of the past two games.
“T h e a n s we r i s wo r k right now,” Matheny said. “We’ve got to work hard but work smart, making sure that we’re attacking the little things that we’re seeing that are keeping us from the results that we’re looking for.”
Athletics: Right-hander Ke n d a l l G r a v e ma n w a s placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder. Also, shortstop Marcus Semien will have right wrist surgery today that will include inserting a screw to help heal a broken bone. There is no timetable for his return.
Red Sox: Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was placed on paternity leave and will miss his scheduled start in Toronto tonight.
White Sox: Outfielder Melky Cabrera was reinstated from the paternity list after missing three games in Minnesota over the weekend.
Cubs: Right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. was activated from the bereavement list.
Rockies: First baseman Mark Reynolds, stepping in after starter Ian Desmond broke his left hand during spring training, is hitting .306 with four homers and a teambest 11 RBIs. “He’s doing his thing,” manager Bud Black said of Reynolds, a veteran who was signed to a minorleague deal in the offseason. “He’s doing a great job. No doubt about it.”
Noteworthy: The average time of a nine-inning game in the major leagues increased five minutes to 3:05 during the first two weeks of the season.